DuckDuckGo Hides Fake Images, War on AI Trash

It's becoming increasingly common lately to search for an image of something and only come across AI photos. DuckDuckGo has decided to put a stop to this. It's launched a filter that allows you to hide images generated by artificial intelligence .

The filter is perfectly in line with DuckDuckGo 's philosophy. The search engine has always made respect for users and transparency its hallmarks.

DuckDuckGo vs. Google: The New AI Image Filter

DuckDuckGo's new filter was created as a remedy for so-called AI slop . The term refers to low-value content mass-produced with artificial intelligence . Users were tired of seeing only AI-generated images in their search results.

Using the new filter is very simple. Just go to the Images section of DuckDuckGo . You'll find a drop-down menu called "AI images" where you can choose whether to "show" or "hide" artificial content. Alternatively, you can activate the filter directly in the search settings with the "Hide AI-Generated Images" option.

This is a control that Google doesn't offer, even though its results are often more polluted by AI junk . DuckDuckGo, on the other hand, focuses on quality.

How DuckDuckGo's AI Filter Works

DuckDuckGo uses manually curated, open-source blacklists , including the popular “nuclear list” provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist . While it won't detect 100% of AI-generated results, it will dramatically reduce the number of AI images you see, the company explains. It's a fair approach: it doesn't promise perfection, but a significant improvement in the search experience .

It's no coincidence that DuckDuckGo used the search for a baby peacock as an example. It's a direct reference to last year's controversial Google case, when searching for images of the bird yielded mostly AI-generated results instead of real photos.

It has become a symbol of how artificial intelligence is polluting the search for authentic information . When you can no longer distinguish a real peacock from a fake one, then there is a systemic problem.

The silent invasion of AI garbage

The internet is becoming a dumping ground for artificial content. Blogs written by chatbots , images and videos created by generators … Faced with all this, DuckDuckGo is taking a clear stance. Instead of passively accepting this invasion, it is offering users the tools to defend themselves. It's an approach that puts control back in the hands of people, rather than algorithms.

The company also promises to add more filters in the future, though it hasn't provided specific details. It's easy to assume the feature will be extended to other types of AI content, such as text, video, and audio. As users, the only thing we can hope for is that other search engines will follow suit.